I hate attending ball games and the referees do not call what I call fair calls. Referees must be consistent. Having 2 – 3 referees calling games, it would appear that one of them would see they are not being consistent and they would talk it over. When you are not consistent it controls the behavior of the children playing and they get attitudes. However that does not make it right but it can be frustrating because they want to win and when it appears that the referees are working against you, it makes it tough.

The players no matter what must stay focused and must not allow their behavior to be highlighted on the playing field. You must play the game and win or lose don’t be remember for you bad attitude after a game. Players you need to use the backboard and not worry about hitting nothing but net. You must pass the ball to your teammate when they are open and you have double teamed or triple teamed. You need to understand that you can’t dribble around 2 – 3 players. You need to pass the ball to the teammate who has the better shot and especially if he or she is open. You must play smart and the coach don’t have to tell you everything because some things are just plain common sense.

On last night during the SouthWest vs Tarboro JV game SouthWest boys should have won the game because they had around a 15 point lead and if they had played smart they could have won the game with no problem. However every game they have not played smart even the one they won. You can not be selfish and you must pass the ball when you are being doubled teamed or triple teamed. When you do not pass the ball then it is nobody fault but your own, does not matter how many bad calls the referee are calling. I was pissed with SouthWest players attitude that was shown towards the end of the game and even at the end of the game. I video their games on my own and has not been asked to do so. I have been doing it over the years and has given the coaches a copy so they can see what they can do better when preparing for the next game. After last night I am going to think about if I will continue to video their games because I want to win the game however I am not going to wear out my video camera nor buy DVDs to put their games on and I got to watch them play with selfishness and attitudes. Play the game, do your very best win or lose and have fun.

The coaches must be in control of their players. If the players don’t show their best behavior then they must be benched. It is not all about winning but it is all about teaching the players about fundamentals of the game and positive attitudes on the playing field.

I also don’t understand how the coaches, assistant coaches, the players and statisticians don’t keep up with how many fouls a players have so they will not foul out. Who watches the scoreboard to make sure the score is right? Everybody have a role to play so everyone need to be focused on the whole game and not just certain aspects. When the players continue to make the same errors like committing the same mistakes, who are talking to them. All of these things matters. Turnovers gave the game to Tarboro JV’s last night and not the referees.

The parents who attend the games need to be in control of their children as well. You must hold them to a standard and challenge the coach to hold them to a standard. You must recognize that sports comes for a season but the behavior the players partake in on the playing field will follow them when the season is over.

Referees, players, coaches and parents you all have a role to play and I will be watching and reporting what I see behind the camera as I video future games.

Note: I see the bad attitudes in players in other schools as well but I am an alumnus of SouthWest and I video all of their games so they are my main concern, however I may speak to other schools as well.

I don’t have a child on a team but I have family on all of the teams. However I support all of the children and not just SouthWest but all schools because I support children.